Improvement in steam vacuum pumps operatedby exhaust steam



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W. BURDON. Steam Vacuum-Pumps operated by Exhaust Steam. No. 135,203. Patentedlan.28,1873.

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, Ste am Vacuum-Pumps operated by. Exhaust Steam. No. 335,203. PatentedJa m.28,1873.

UNITED STATES P'rEIv'I' QFFICE.

WILLIAM BUR-DON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN STEAM VACUUM-PUMPS OPERATED BY EXHAUST STEAM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,203, dated January 28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BURDON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Means of Employing the Exhaust Steam of a Steam-Engine for Raising Water, of which the following is a specification:

This invention consists in the combination of such an apparatus as I term asteam vacuum-pump with the exhaust-pipe of a steam- .engine, whereby the apparatus is made to serve In the-accompanying drawing, Figurel is a' view of a steam-engine and steam vacuumpump connected with its exhaust-pipe; Fig. 2

is a similar view, showing the apparatus in a slightly-modified form; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the vacuum-pump alone.

' Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is a high-pressure steam-engine of ordinary construction, furnished, as usual, with a steam-inlet pipe, 13, and exhaust-pipe G, with which the apparatus that I formerly termed a steam vacuum-pump is connected. This pump consists of two chambers, D D, bolted to a box, E, side by side, and connected at the top by a cylindrical valve-box, with which communicates the exhaust-pipe of the steam-engine. In this valve-box are valves to (0, consisting of flat plates attached to a rod, b,which is connected with the end of the lever c, by which the steam-valve of the steam-engine is operated. The said valves to a alternately cover and uncover ports in the tops of the chambers. The box E is open to the bottoms of both chambers D D, and below them, in the box, there is a perforated horizontal partition, 6, covered with inlet-valves. The portion of the box below this partition is in communication with the inletpipe F leading from a well, but the portion above said partition is divided by a vertical partition, f, the portions on each side of which form extensions to the chambers D D, and have the outlet-valves arranged about them. These valves are situated.

on three sides of each of said portions of the box E, and consist of long gates g 9, having seats inclinedat a salient angle. A trough, G, surrounds the box E and forms a seal to the valves by keeping water around them. I I are pipes which lead from this trough into the upper part of the chambers l) D to lead a stream of water thereto at the proper time for the purpose of condensing the steam therein. This condensation is further effected bywhat I term retaining-cups J J These are arranged in the middle portion of the chambers and are supported by rods 'r 1". They are open-topped to receive water when the chambers fill, and are perforated near the bottom to permit the water in them to escape when the chambers discharge.

The apparatus represented in Fig. 2 differs from the other only in having no separate valves for the pump, the engine having two exhaust-pipes, one at each end of the cylinder, such pipes being connected one with each of the two chambers of the vacuum-pump, the exhaust-valves of thesteamengine serving as the steam-inlet valves of the vacuum-pump.

Before starting the pump the trough G is filled with water to seal the valves 9 g. The valve of the steam-engine is then shifted to admit steam to the chambers D D. The air is thereby expelled from the chambers, and a vacuum is thereby formed, and the chambers and their retaining-cups J J are caused to fill by atmospheric pressure. The engine is now started, and, as soon as its valve is shifted to open an exhaust from either end of the steamchcst, the exhaust steam is conducted to the valve-box, and thence into one of the chambers, represented in the drawing as being the right. As soon as the steam comes in contact with the water it balances the pressure of air below, and the water in the chamber then falls by its own weight, opening the valves 9 g, and flowing into the trough Gr. When the valves are reversed the steam is shut off from the right chamber and admitted to the left. The steam admitted to the latter balances the pressure of the air below and permits the chamber to discharge. As soon as the steam is shut off from the right chamber its valves the exhaust-valve of the steam-engine being the inlet steam-valve of the pump.

In the country there are many factories driven by a steam-engine in conjunction with water-power, the latter being insufficient alone to produce the necessary power. Often in the dry months of summer the water greatly decreases, and sometimes gets so low as to be unable to work the water-wheel at all. When such is the case, by the use of my invention the water may be raised and allowed to escape over the wheel, and so operate it. This may be done without in the least detracting from the power of the engine; in fact, by acting as a condenser to the latter, it facilitates the escape of exhaust steam, and so tends to assist the engine.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of an apparatus, such as is herein termed a steam vacuum-pump, with the exhaust -pipe of a steam -engine, whereby the said apparatus is made to serve the additionalpurpose of a condenser to the steam-engine.

2. The combination of the steam-inlet valves of the steam vacuum-pump with the exhaustvalve or valves of the steam-engine, substantially as herein described, whereby the said inlet and exhaust valves are worked by the same rod or valve-gear.

3. The condensing-vessel J, supported in the upper part of either chamber for the retention of a portion of the water, and perforated near its bottom for the discharge of said water to effect condensation, substantially as herein dcscribed.

4. The arrangement of the exhaust-steam valve or valves of the engine, substantially as herein described, to serve as the steam-inlet Valves of the vacuum-pump.

5. The combination of two separate exhaustpipes of the engine with two separate vacuumchambers, one pipe being connected with one chamber and the other with the other chamber, substantially as herein described.

Witnesses: VIM. BURDON.

HENRY T. BROWN, FRED. HAYNES. 

